Photo/Illutration Yosuke Tsuruho apologizes at a news conference on July 9 in Wakayama. (Kazuhiko Matsunaga)

Criticized from all sides, the chair of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s Upper House Budget Committee decided to resign from the post for a remark that angered survivors of the deadly Noto Peninsula Earthquake.

Yosuke Tsuruho, 58, has already submitted his resignation letter to the LDP’s Upper House speaker, according to a senior party member.

But Tsuruho earlier denied he would vacate his Upper House seat or leave the party, saying, “At present, I am not thinking that far.”

Tsuruho made the offensive comment in a speech in support of an LDP candidate for the Upper House election in Wakayama on July 8.

He said efforts to create “two-region lifestyles,” in which people can have two different bases of living, had progressed after the Noto Peninsula Earthquake on New Year’s Day last year.

“Fortunately, there was an earthquake in Noto,” he said.

Tsuruho was criticized as insensitive by disaster victims as well as ruling and opposition party members. He also received a stern warning from Hiroshi Moriyama, the LDP secretary-general.

Tsuruho issued a statement of apology and retracted the statement later on July 8.

“I did not mean to imply that the Noto region was lucky to have been hit by the disaster,” he said. “I deeply regret my lack of consideration for the victims and my inadequate words, and I apologize and withdraw my comment.”

He also held a news conference on the following day to apologize.

Yoshihiko Noda, leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, criticized Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba over the Tsuruho incident.

After Tsuruho’s decision to resign became known, Noda told reporters on July 12: “There was a sense that he left (the matter) to the Upper House and LDP leaders. It is regrettable that we did not see any leadership from (Ishiba).”

Tetsuo Saito, leader of Komeito, the LDP’s junior coalition partner, said, “It is only natural that (Tsuruho) should resign” from the post.

“Considering the seriousness of what he said, he should have made a decision earlier,” Saito said.

Tsuruho was first elected to the Upper House in 1998 in the Wakayama prefectural district. He is currently serving his fifth term in the Diet chamber.

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